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quote:Year 30 Post Exclusion  Primary League Examiner- S Rank 18 Hero, holding the title of "Harbringer"- Deadeye "Listen up, prospective heroes." Deadeye stands before the assembled crowd, on top of the spotlight lit stage in the middle of the square that all of you are assembled in, mask glinting under the streetlights and windows that light up this false night. "These trials are not a joke- they will push you to your limits, mental, physical, and emotional. We can't afford to have weak guardians on the street after all these messes- after the Exclusion Event, especially. Not only will you have to be ready to fight the common criminal, and ones like yourself, powered, strong, and ready to do anything to succeed- you'll also have to fight what comes from beyond our little bubble- the Broken, those creatures that didn't survive the Exclusion Event... right, or those that caused it in the first place. They don't think like us, don't act like us, and you sure as hell can't emphasize with them- if you try to go easy on them, they will /kill you./ You must always be vigilant, always be ready- because anything you fight will be." She steps back into the shadows, silently, as the next hero steps forwards- kinetic and excited, with a huge grin on his face, the next speaker-  Secondary League Examiner, A Rank 1 Hero, holding the title of "Bright and Rising Star", Heatwave Heatwave waits for the applause to stop- and frowns just a bit when it does all too soon for his tastes. For a moment, silence hangs, before he straightens himself up, adjusts his jacket, and begins. "Heeeey! How are my heroes doing tonight!" He shouts to the sky, smiling as the wave of responses flow over him. "Now, now, don't worry- it's not like we're going to kill you or anything, you know? Listen, just relax! You can't be a hero if you're constantly worried about the next thing- look, I've gotten here by trusting my instincts, going with the flow, and just doing it, you know? Come on! enjoy yourself- do your best, that's all that matters. We need kids like you on the streets- we need passion, flare, flame! We need a new generation, because the /world/ needs you! Look, I might be the only drat person who was born after the Area was built on this stage, but even I know there's poo poo out there you wouldn't believe- and if you want to fix this world and bring it back, you've got to be here, with us!" Heatwave smiles, and punches the air a few times, flame flying behind his fists- yet more of his legendary 'showmanship', before turning around and walking back to his seat, plopping down into the steel chair. The next speaker takes the stage, almost seeming to flow like water up to it. Someone all of you've seen, on the televisions, on the news- not the oldest hero but perhaps one of the most famous-  Primary League Examiner, Retired S-Rank 1 hero, holding the title of "Architect of the Exclusion Area", Panopticon She taps the microphone upon the stage a few times, making sure that it's still working, before letting out a slow, comfortable sigh. Her eyes close for just a moment, before she leans in, speaking. "Before the world fell, I was just a hero, like you all. I may have been good, but I was nothing special. it wasn't until that final assault that I became the hero I am today- before the world was all this one place, before we had the barrier of space itself, back when there were continents separated by oceans ,and not these linked bubbles of space. As the Broken Things consumed reality, I was part of the team that lead the assault on their leader- the final, offensive strike, the suicide mission to try to save the world at the sacrifice of our own lives. As you know now, there was no proper leader, no single thing that could be felled to end the assault, but as we journeyed into their corrupted homeworld, the space beyond space that held their cities and people, we did find one thing." She pauses, for a long, long moment- steadying herself, before continuing. "A core, at the top of their capital, shining to the world- as my fellow heroes were felled before me, I lept for that core, and saw everything- all the endless, glimmering worlds in space, and the horrible wreck, impossible to sustain that our world had become in my absence- the broken mess, ready to collapse upon itself at any moment. I took the power of that core, let it into my being, and as it filled me with power, with information, I saw what I could do- in one fell swoop, I stitched the remnants of our cities, our metropolises, and all the places of humanity, and wove it into this- The Exclusion Area, where you now live. I came back, the only one of my team that /did/, I came back as a savior- I wove this land into one, and saved us- humanity has united like never before in the face of this fall, - our differences not solved, our disagreements, the places where we hurt still exist, the rifts between us still exist, but with this they have begun to heal, and for now, we have peace- for now. It is your job to maintain this peace- to keep this peace, to hold the world together." She smiles, a wry smile, as the crowd shifts and murmurs and converses. "It is a job I do not think you can handle. I am not sure anyone can handle it. In the end, we shall see." And with that note, a broken rift of purple and black appears behind her, and she steps into it- vanishing, as the rift seals behind her. Only one more speaker, before the trials begin- hopefully, a less... strange one!  Secondary League Examiner, D-Rank 99 Hero, holding the title of "The Kid That Could", Lil Bub The kid steps up to the microphone, reaching up for it- but unfortunately, he's just too short! Taking pity on him, Heatwave steps forwards, pushing the microphone down to a level that Little Bub can actually speak into, before walking back into the back. "Uh, h, hey everyone!" "HEY LITTLE BUB!" The shouting of the crowd becomes uproarious, celebrating the kid himself, Lil Bub. "Stuff's gonna be okay! I, I believe in you all! It took me twenty tries to p, pass the tests, but that's okay! Even if you don't pass, that's okay, you can try again, or , or do something else! You can do whatever you want, I, I think! You're all good people, or, or you wouldn't be here, you know? You're going to do good! You're gonna do ok! You, you're the best, heroes! You're the best!" He smiles his big old smile, closing his eyes, and just generally... being earnestly happy. That's Lil' Bub for ya. Just, the happiest. His eyes open, and he picks the mic up, holding it right up to his face, nodding once before continuing on. "N, now, it's time for the tests to begin! All of you, give it your all! I'll, I'll see you there, with the rest of us- we'll be the judges, we'll give the tests, and we'll say how good each of you did! So, so, um... So let's get started!" With a roar of assent the crowd splits, running off in every direction through the false-city created for the trials, spreading out, so that each of them can face their individual trials, their individual tribulations- and see just which of them is ready, ready to become a TRUE HERO! === Ya'll know the drill, I personally chose each of you. This is a very anime game. Be anime. All playbooks are allowed. I'm pretty chill about abilities, as long as it fits the thematics of the playbook, feel free to make up your own. Any doubt about if it would fit, give me an ask. As for what you need for an app? An Image, A Name, A Sheet, some Backstory, answer your playbook questions, as well as the ones I'm going to ask you in a second here. There will be two more rounds of questions, individualized to the player, after the initial set, before I make picks. No deadline, of course. The game will be run on discord- I've PMed each of you the link. So, questions! Under this section there will be setting info, to assist with answering these. 1. What made you decide to become a hero? After that, why did you join the league, rather than staying unregistered? 2. What hero sponsored you to join the league's trials, if any? Or, did you take the hard route and stick it out on your own? If you did, what extra challenges did this throw up for you? 3. What's your mundane like life? What do you do in your free time? 4. Of the four general categories of the league's trials, Physical, Mental, Practical Challenges, and Moral, which did you excell in? Which gave you difficulty? And for you, personally, what form did those challenges take? This will be gone into more detail in future questions, so don't feel like you have to be all encompassing here. 5. What zone are you from? Feel free to make up a new one or use one from the OP. 6. (Optional) What's your character's theme song? 7. (Optional) What does your character do in the anime opening? 8. (Optional) Thread titles? === Setting For hundreds of years, humanity has held the powers in their hand that you have- albiet, a much lesser form. Almost everyone has, or COULD have some sort of power, but for the most part all this entails is being used to power certain forms of convenient technology that run off this 'inner strength', and little, personal tricks. This person never trips- this guy's a perfect cook. This kid is just, the BEST at videogames. Mom can shoot little sparks from her hands to light the fireplace. Stuff like that- but certain individuals like yourselves have much stronger, wilder powers- unique inner strengths, wonderful technologies, or sometimes just sheer determination and skill, and that's what allows you to be a superhero, that's what gives you the potential. For almost all of human history, the world was shaped and looked much like ours, until the Broken Things, extra-dimensional beings from who knows where invaded the earth, ripping the local space-time around it to shreds, feeding off the energy that it let off, and generally loving stuff up. It's only due to the actions of the Great Hero Clan, a five man team lead by Panopticon, the only surviving member, that the world survived as all- no accounts other than hers can tell what happened in that space beyond space, but she revitalized the world by melding it into a series of connected spaces- great metropolises, great cities, all interconnected, all one- the Mega City Exclusion Area. While the world's people all being shoved together has certainly caused many problems, it's also saved tons of people from fates most dreadful, and in the end people hold in a very unsteady peace. The different areas of the Mega-City are all called Zones, and generally have their own thematics, quirks, and sometimes even different technologies. Here are some examples of the various zones.  Island Tower Zone  Sunshine Villa Zone  Ancient Metropolis Zone  Sacred Valley Zone  Shining Shield Zone- League Headquarters lies here  Patchwork Paradise Zone  Shimmering Twilight Zone
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May 10, 2017 05:29
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  quote:Who mentored you in super-villainy? My father, Yagyū Jubei, I suppose. The expectation is that all heirs to the Yagyū clan are instructed in the way of the Ninja. The work we did was necessary, he said, for we were the blade that cut through that which caused stagnation. It was not my place to question him. It was also quite unwise. I have seen many become examples of that fact. He was very distant, though I look back on our time together fondly. He taught me how to be strong. How to survive. And, admittedly, how to kill in a staggering number of ways. I will uphold our clan's legacy. I will take it from the shadows and reveal it to the world. The Yagyū name shall live once more. quote:Who first showed you that you could do good? Shirogami. I was on my way back from a successful mission. Her sword skills caught my eye. There was a certain beauty to her movements. I sat and watched her fight a small band of broken. I could have let her die. I did not. A broken was in her blind spot and about to strike. I struck first. We did not exchange words that night, though she saw me. There were other times that we met. Each time I would find myself intervening in the fight, then disappearing into the night. I am sure she realized what I was, if not who, but my actions kept surprising her. They certainly kept surprising me. quote:What caused you to switch sides? My family was slaughtered while I was out on a mission. They had become... inconvenient. The precision and specific manner of the kills suggests Panopticon, but I am not aware of anything that would have driven her to act personally. My first duty was to avoid that same fate. I found Shirogami and asked her to remand me to the League's custody. It would be an understatement to say that she was surprised. I believe that she had always assumed that she would one day be forced to take me in. I have been in custody since. My behavior is excellent, according to the guards, and they have since come to respect me. Perhaps not like, but respect. They have been very willing to grant increased privileges, such as access to training facilities and chaperoned trips outside. The ability, even, to participate in the trials. quote:What was your goal as a villain? My goal? I must admit I had never thought about it. It was simply who I was. What I was born to do. If I must state the underlying concept? Something to the effect of "satisfying my familial duties" would be serviceable. quote:Why do you care about the team? It has been something of an oasis. They are all a bit naive, to be sure, but they are skilled. The world is literally insane. We live and die by the whims of a mad goddess, though they may not realize it. Most don't. As the threats to her rule wither and die, I am forced to consider the potential future in which I may be forced to stand up to her. I would prefer not to do it alone. quote:1. What made you decide to become a hero? After that, why did you join the league, rather than staying unregistered? It is a matter of pragmatism. I believe that I will be safest by being entrenched in the league. The opportunity to act in a manner that is not dictated by the head of the clan, yet retain authorization for my activities is also a pleasant concept. quote:2. What hero sponsored you to join the league's trials, if any? Or, did you take the hard route and stick it out on your own? If you did, what extra challenges did this throw up for you? Shirogami sponsored me. She — and I, to be honest, — had hoped that my willingness to be reformed and my age would excuse many of my prior actions. It did not, sadly, but this trial presented a new opportunity to the both of us. I can't imagine getting permission for me was an easy fight for her. I owe her a debt. I will pay it back to her. I will not waste this chance. quote:3. What's your mundane like life? What do you do in your free time? Currently, I am in League custody. I read quite a bit, train to the extent allowed, and rarely am allowed to go to different zones. Before? It was rare to leave the village. It was primarily for the purposes of jobs. I snuck out once. There was a meteor shower. I remember it well. The stars cut through the sky like blades. I met someone there. I don't remember her face. She was... Hm. She was probably the first person I met who wasn't of the clan. quote:4. Of the four general categories of the league's trials, Physical, Mental, Practical Challenges, and Moral, which did you excel in? Which gave you difficulty? And for you, personally, what form did those challenges take? This will be gone into more detail in future questions, so don't feel like you have to be all encompassing here. The physical trials were naturally quite easy. They reminded me of the training grounds back home. Jumping between platforms, dodging horrific traps, and escaping detection from the examiner all the while. My scores were adequate. Were it not for the fact that I haven't been keeping my skills fully polished, I'm sure that I could have easily reached the maximum score possible. The mental trials were more challenging, since the criteria for success were unclear. The most memorable was a contest of riddles. I claim no mastery of those, but suspiciously all of the answers seemed to relate to shadows and other things that I feel quite comfortable with it. My lowest scores were in the moral trials. A holographic simulation of some sort. Hostage situation. The examiner was evidently not impressed by my decision to prevent casualties by assassinating the villains. He said that it was a test of character and that my actions proved I had none. Admittedly, he was correct. Character was not a factor in my decision-making. I had the ability to subdue the villains non-lethally. It would have added an unacceptable level of uncertainty, however, so I decided to pursue a more optimal plan. I believe that I must have either passed on a technicality or that someone pulled some strings. On the other hand, my practical scores were off the chart. These challenges were part of the same holographic system as the hostage situation. Foiling a bank robbery. Some sort of team exercise against a cosmic threat. A broken assault in the midst of a city. Protecting a VIP. In all cases, my decisive actions led to positive outcomes. Minimized variables kept the situations clean and relatively chaos-free, though the larger simulations were harder to optimize. quote:5. What zone are you from? Feel free to make up a new one or use one from the OP.  Sacred Valley Zone - Reverse Side People talk about the Sacred Valley like it's just a city. An idyllic, unified construct. Incorrect. When the MCEA was formed, space and even, perhaps, time were ripped and torn to create it. It was never completely repaired. My home is proof enough of that. There are some streets and alleys where, if you take a very specific route with a specific pace, you end up somewhere... different. The reverse side. My home. Such a location draws many who seek shelter from society, though my clan was here from the formation itself. quote:6. (Optional) What's your character's theme song? Spin and Burst! quote:7. (Optional) What does your character do in the anime opening? The screen goes mono-chrome as Hayate zips between shadows towards a broken. It spots him, eyes glowing red, as he jumps out and slashes with his katana. It's claws seem to pierce through him, before that Hayate is revealed to be an afterimage that fade away. Hayate cuts through the broken from behind and lines slash the image into countless pieces as it transitions to the next scene. Hayate stands dramatically on a cliff, the wind blowing his costume around. He looks upward and clenches his fist as the camera zooms in on it. quote:8. (Optional) Thread titles? quote:Real Name: Yagyū Hayate Tricky fucked around with this message at 04:13 on May 24, 2017 |
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May 10, 2017 05:55
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  Real Name: Prometheus Hero Name: Prometheus Mask: The Newborn Look: Ambiguous, Metal Skin, immaculate clothing, no costume Abilities: Superdurability and Strength Sleek, metallic muscles gleam against in the light, their elegance belying their strength. Thermal Control Silver panels can retract to reveal a thermal control beacon. It can remotely raise or lower the temperature of any object within eyeline. Violently, if need be. Labels Freak +1 Danger +2 Savior +1 Superior +1 Mundane -2 Moves Thermodynamic miracle: When you comfort or support someone by telling them what makes them unique, roll + Freak instead of Mundane. If they open up to you, shift Freak up and Mundane down. If they don’t, mark a condition. A mind of their own: Your powers evolve and mutate. When you are facing an obstacle or threat that your powers would not be able to deal with, you can mark a condition to gain brand new abilities adapted to the situation. You lose these new powers once the danger is gone. A Blank Slate I am __________________ A superhero should Protect the Weak Always ________________ Never Show Weakness When you embody one of your lessons, shift one Label up and one Label down, your choice. If you cause a misunderstanding, collateral damage, or unintended consequences in the process, mark potential. When you reject one of your lessons, reject its Influence as if it were an NPC. If you choose to have it lose Influence over you, erase that lesson and write a new one in its stead. When you approach your creator or caretakers with a problem, tell them what obstacle you face or what you need to achieve, and they will offer you something you need. The GM chooses one: • secret information • a way to temporarily boost or expand your powers • access to instruments, weapons, or resources • official and explicit backing If you accept their help, they rewrite one of your lessons for you. Relationships ________________ is an exemplary human; they show you around and tell you how things work. The behavior of ________________ confuses you again and again; you’re determined to understand humanity better by studying them. When our team first came together... The team discovered you during the incident; thanks to them, you reached the outside world and helped in the fight. Where and how did they find you? Who gave you your first nickname? Influence You’re receptive to how people think and behave around you. Give Influence to all of your teammates. Backstory Who created you, and why? My creator is the illustrious Professor Apple (see above), and I am to be the first of a new species. I have the burden and privilege to set the standard for all who come after me, and I At least... that is what I have surmised from the brief time we had together. Shortly after Professor Apple made sure all my systems were functioning properly, he sent me out into the world as he did not want to unduly constrain me with his expectations of me. The first few days were... confusing, but I have found my own way since. How are you different from humans? ...Is… this some sort of joke? How… could you think I could be like a human? Well, aside from the obvious, I know why I was created, unlike humans who continually search their whole lives for meaning. Specifically, I was created to be the first of a new race of synthetic life forms. Professor Apple was very clear that he would have no involvement in my further development, since he wished for me to develop on my own, rather than how he thought I should develop. Who, outside of the team, is your caretaker? While I would appreciate seeing him, I understand Professor Apple’s directive to be ironclad. So, I have taken to spending time with Dr. Brain.  ...Er... Well, yes that is him, but... surely you have a better picture of him? No? Well… as long as he does not see it. He is actually very considerate and helpful. He is not on the level of Professor Apple, of course, but then again, I am not sure anyone is on Professor Apple’s level. Still, at his level, he makes for one of the few conversationalist that I look forward to engaging with, even if his eyes do resemble the feral glow that some of the more powerful Broken exhibit. He is the first to admit that he was fantastically lucky to survive the lab accident when he was studying a Broken that was merely almost dead. Afterwards, he found his appearance to be more like the Broken that he was studying, but fortunately, his mind and good humor were intact. The Hero League is quite used to such stories of lab accidents bringing forth new talents, so he rarely merits more than a second look within the halls of the Hero League. What about humanity fascinates you the most? Their persistence. Lil’ Bub is a perfect example. By all objective measures, he is ill suited to be a hero. He is a small and physically weak individual, with little to recommend him to the career of hero. However, he managed to push himself until he reached the rank of hero. If… only barely. There are limits to human persistence, after all. Why do you care about the team? I’ll wait a little on this when I have a better idea of the team. What made you decide to become a hero? After that, why did you join the league, rather than staying unregistered? The strong should protect the weak. After my creation and subsequent dismissal from Professor Apple's lab, I spend a long time in reflection, where I came to view this as a self evident truth. Consequently, since most humans are weaker than myself, it is only natural that I should become a hero. As for why I joined the league… I confess a combination of curiosity and admiration. I wanted to be considered a peer with the humans that risk their own life and limb to protect their fellows. They do not have backups or blueprints like myself. When they are injured, they feel pain and risk ending their career as a hero. I merely receive alerts that inform me that damage is occurring. What hero sponsored you to join the league's trials, if any? Or, did you take the hard route and stick it out on your own? If you did, what extra challenges did this throw up for you? Obviously, Dr. Brain was my sponsor. What's your mundane like life? What do you do in your free time? Mundane… life? Surely you jest. I am the firstborn of a new race. Nothing about my life is mundane. Everything I do could become the tradition for countless intelligences that walk in my footsteps. I spend a large amount of time planning the next generation and acquiring materials for my experiments. On top of that, I spend a fair amount of time reflecting on various theories of ethics in order to determine what information I should pass on. Some of my peers suggest that I am meditating, but I do not believe my actions exactly match up with the definition. However, as far as a shorthand, it is acceptable. ...But… sometimes, when even my attention begins to wander from such tasks and I find myself watching… sports. Yes, sports. You humans are so fascinating. Striving for continual self improvement, even though you are doomed to eventually spiral down into old age and infirmity. I find such striving to be very admirable. In addition, I am also sure that the Island Tower Lions are going to win the World Series this year. If you have a moment, I can go over the most recent statistic of Myo Nyatama, their star pitcher, that I believe support this the-. ...No? Well, another time then. Of the four general categories of the league's trials, Physical, Mental, Practical Challenges, and Moral, which did you excel in? Which gave you difficulty? And for you, personally, what form did those challenges take? This will be gone into more detail in future questions, so don't feel like you have to be all encompassing here. The mental challenges were all trivial. In order to significantly challenge me, an eighth level intelligence to spend a week of work to write a single problem. The only “difficulty” I had was from when the inexpensive exam pencil broke and I was forced to wait for another. I still finished in five minutes. I will admit that the practical challenges produced some… unforeseen results. I had no experience as a hero before taking the exam, so I was unable to pick up on some of the cues a more experienced hero would pick up on to determine who was trustworthy in a situation. What zone are you from? Feel free to make up a new one or use one from the OP. Technically, I took my first conscious thoughts in the Shining Shield Zone (which contains Professor Apple's lab, naturally). However, I have respected the Professor's wishes and have not been back since. Fortunately, Dr. Brain has shown his characteristic good will in allowing me to store my things within his cavernous lab. I rarely need sleep, but it is very convenient to have a place to store my tools and experiments. The Island Tower is where Dr. Brain has his lab, and thus, it is what I consider to be my "home" zone. Now that I have been assigned a team, though... I will most likely wish to move my things to our base of operations. Also, the Lions, as the baseball team of the zone, are my home team. It is fortunate to be able to cheer for such a good team. They recently had problems with injuries during training camp, however, their pre-season trades were quite favorable. For instance, even a brief glance at Lyar Potoma's batting numbers show he deserves the moniker "Slugger", but his statistics in the field were below average. Trading him for... Yes, of course. We can talk about it another time. (Optional) What's your character's theme song? void - Perform Ur Mission https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhc20K5W6RU (Optional) What does your character do in the anime opening? The camera zooms out of the white to reveal that it is the white of Prometheus’ cloak fluttering in the wind as he stands on the zone’s skyway, looking down at people going about their business mid-day. Cut to him working on a robotic body similar to his own. He has one of the armplates open and sparks fly as he solders something inside with flame from his finger. He closes the plate, and the arm twitches for a moment before going limp. He looks down, shakes his head, then turns away, the cape cutting to Prometheus sitting in a silver, round, unpadded chair, watching dozens of sports games on the monitors in front of him. His face remains still, but he leans in slightly, much more invested in this than watching people go about their day or working. One of the screens flickers and the camera zooms into the new scene. It’s one of Prometheus fighting out in the Broken wastes. The camera spins through the rubble around him, showing him delivering devastating punches and kicks that send the broken flying. He then leaps into the air and extends his hand, palm forward with his other hand bracing at the wrist. The camera zooms in on his palm, which retracts to spew forth a massive gout of flame, incinerating the broken on the ground. The camera lingers for a moment on the flames before zooming in to cut to... (Optional) Thread titles? BESM (Big Explosions, Super Men) Role Playing Capfalcon fucked around with this message at 01:27 on May 14, 2017 |
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May 13, 2017 02:51
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 Champion, The Beacon How did you gain your skills? Uh, are you kidding? I've loved martial arts since I could walk, and coincidentally enough that's how long I've been practicing it too. Every day, weekend or weekday, it doesn't matter - the exercise is healthy, and I love the competition that comes with it. I'm actually a third degree black belt of the Storm Fist now - even if I had to teach myself most of it - and I've never lost a tournament yet. Not to brag too much, but I'm pretty good at what I do! I mean I'd have to be, all things considered... When did you first put on your costume? So one day, when I moved a box full of my crappier trophies up to the attic, I sort of had a realization. Believe it or not, it's actually sort of boring beating up the same competition constantly. Add in how cool being a hero is, and I'm honestly kicking myself for not having thought of this thing sooner. That thought was... what if I was a hero? So yeah, I designed my first "costume", aka a balaclava and a spare karate gi, and went patrolling for crime! Important notes from my first couple excursions - one, villains and monsters don't play by rules. Two, they have powers, which my tournaments didn't. Three, being in amazing physical condition and expertly trained and tremendously hardworking doesn't really mean much when your opponent can just absorb every single hit you throw, then chuck you THROUGH a wall. That sure was fun. I've gotten hit hard before, but that was something else - I literally only survived because Zodiac and his Astrological Gang assumed I was already dead. Not the way I was used to fights ending, to say the least, and waking up in a League Hospital a few hours later was just as disorienting. Who, outside of the team, thinks you shouldn't be a superhero? Harsh dude. Fine, it's Panopticon, and I have no idea why. She's objected to every single thing I've ever done through official channels, she nearly prevented me from being admitted to the League at all, and I've never even met her but I WISH I could punch her in the face a couple times for all the poo poo she's put me through. I don't care what she thinks - I am going to succeed here. Everyone's got so many powers and abilities, half the Leaguers are full of themselves - at least I know my limitations and am training day and night overcome them, I guess? Why do you try to be a hero? I don't try to be a hero - I am one, I don't care what anyone else says, and I'm going to prove it to them. Why do you care about the team? Is this supposed to be a trick question? I'm on a team with a bunch of awesome real heroes, of course I love it - and seriously, everyone on the team is great. They all have amazing capabilities, and yet we're all kinda kindred spirits. Like... they have problems just like I do. They're human (or Martian), even when they think they're not, and I'm super glad I met them - I'm going to keep working until I prove myself to all of them, I know they're waiting for me to... 1. What made you decide to become a hero? After that, why did you join the league, rather than staying unregistered? I answered most of this already. As for why I joined the League? While I was in their hospital, I grabbed an application as they rolled me out in a wheelchair towards my parents' van. I may have lost my first fight as a hero, but joining the League seemed like my best chance to train past that and earn my first win. What can I say? I believe that I can do this, and I'm not letting any superpowered rear end in a top hat stop me for long. 2. What hero sponsored you to join the league's trials, if any? Or, did you take the hard route and stick it out on your own? If you did, what extra challenges did this throw up for you? From what I heard, someone tried to sponsor me, but it got rejected by Panopticon somehow. As such, yeah, I've worked my way up in the ranks entirely on my lonesome - I literally only got into the trials because someone looked up a few news articles about me online and reversed their initial rejection. Trust me, it has been a ton of fun. At least with martial arts I'm on top of the heap - here? Yeah, a teenage girl with no powers really gets the sort of support and encouragement she needs to keep going in the lower ranks of the League... by which I mean quite a few heroes are absolute assholes to me. I'm not letting them stop me though, no matter how often people spit on me or reject teamups with me - I am going to train and work and sweat and bleed until they can't even touch me. I'm going to hit S Rank 1, without powers, and I'll defeat anything that gets in my way. Eventually. 3. What's your mundane like life? What do you do in your free time? Ha, harsh again - yeah I get it, no powers. Whatever, my life's awesome. My parents are sorta pissed at me so I avoid the house except for Friday Night Pizza, but I get to train at our base, hang out with my friends, and do legit heroics with a team of amazing fellow heroes, my life is awesome. When I've got free time, which is sorta rare - I doubt many people in the world take training seriously as I do - I'm pretty into video games and, uhhh, don't mention this? I run a forum for superhero roleplaying - and no, before you ask, of course I'm not playing as myself. 4. Of the four general categories of the league's trials, Physical, Mental, Practical Challenges, and Moral, which did you excel in? Which gave you difficulty? And for you, personally, what form did those challenges take? This will be gone into more detail in future questions, so don't feel like you have to be all encompassing here. I destroyed moral, but only did average on everything else. I don't want to talk about it. 5. What zone are you from? Feel free to make up a new one or use one from the OP. Sacred Valley represent~ My parents both work at a temple within Zone, as did my sensei when I was extremely little - I kicked her rear end when I was like eight - and the entire place is just great. Serene, martial arts traditions aplenty, limitations on technology resulting in the whole place having a more natural feel to it than the rest of the City... I honestly love my Home Zone, and I'm hoping I make everyone else proud with my heroics! And oh yeah, my parents are cool, but the whole "I graduated early to be a hero" thing hasn't sat well with them... which is why I'm also secretly taking online courses from our base! They're gonna be amazed when I show off my Physical Therapy degree in, uh, probably six years? 6. (Optional) What's your character's theme song? This and this and of course. 7. (Optional) What does your character do in the anime opening? Champion caught up in a blast of some sort, but staggers back to her feet, spits out some blood, and grits her teeth before charging in again to throw a rapid volley of punches against a bad guy. quote:Hero Name: Champion Rauri fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Jun 12, 2017 |
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May 13, 2017 07:38
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 (image source) Alraune Alpha, the Transformed Who were you before? Nobody, really. I was pretty normal, or as close to it as most people get these days. I got decent grades, I had friends to hang out with and a family I was pretty sure loved me, I had hobbies... mostly tinkering with engines and machines. I was a minor technopath -- got that from my dad -- nothing big, but good enough to get "better/worse" kind of vibes when I was working on a machine. Motorcycles were my thing. Still are, I guess, but back then I figured I was going to be a bike mechanic, maybe build customs. Not glamorous, but fun. ... Okay, I'll be honest, my parents weren't happy about it. They were both scientists and real academic types, and I think my being okay with okay grades disappointed them a little. My younger brother Walter was more of a brain, all about computers and microprocessors, and he was even a better technopath than I was. Do you know how old it gets being told to be more like a kid who's five years younger than you? I mean, Walt's not a bad kid, or he wasn't, who knows what he's like now, but it just wore on me. Okay, maybe things weren't that great at home. Maybe that's why this all happened. When did you change? What caused it? So I was just talking about my parents, right? Scientists, really smart, pretty disappointed in me? Last spring, they started talking about how there was this summer internship program at the lab where they work, and I should apply. My folks work for Nakabayashi Bio-Ag, which mostly does plant genetic engineering and hydroponics setups and stuff. I figured it'd make them happy if I at least applied, and besides, it couldn't be anything that crazy, right? Just working in the greenhouse or doing lab maintenance or something. Something basic, and... maybe my folks would be proud of me for once? You can guess how wrong I was about the "internship," right? Like, the wrongest anyone has ever been about anything? Everything went wrong when they called me in for an "interview." The guy they had meet me was my dad's supervisor, and he led me back farther and farther into the building, past about three layers of keycards. When we got to an exam room, I should have known something was up, but I was trying so hard not to screw things up that I didn't say anything. He asked me to sit down, told me they needed to draw some blood "for biometrics," and pulled out the needles: one empty, one full. Why didn't I run? But I sat there, and he jabbed me twice: first to draw blood, second to inject me with something. I passed out. When I woke up... I was like this. I don't know whether I woke up before they expected me to, or whether Nakabayashi is just a bunch of idiots, but there was nobody there when I woke up. I was strapped to a hospital bed, and there was an overhead TV with something playing, welcoming me to "Project Alraune" and "new life as an avatar of the Inner Forest." I don't remember most of it, because I was woozy and freaking the gently caress out, but... none of it sounded good. Like I was some kind of secret weapon or something? I was "the first prototype," so I guess the first time they'd tried this? But I've worked in a machine shop. I know what happens to prototypes, especially when they don't cooperate. ... The thing about this body is that it runs on instinct a lot, so it knew what to do even when I didn't. My arm just grew and twisted until I could open my restraints on my own. The window was barred, but it broke just fine, and the outer walls of the building were rough brick. A little stretching and a little sap, and I was climbing down and then running like hell. Sometimes I think I should have stayed and paid attention to the video, tried to figure out what they really wanted from me, but screw it. I don't care what they want, and they're not getting it from me. Besides, if I'd stuck around, what if someone had shown up? Who, outside the team, is helping you understand your new body? That's probably Dr. Dikarya. Long story short: after I broke out of Nakabayashi, I headed for Shining Shield and the League, because I figured they were about the only hope I had. Maybe they'd protect me, maybe they'd run tests on me, but superheroes wouldn't just hand me back, right? I showed up at the League Research Campus, and the receptionist sent me right to Dr. Dikarya. Didn't even blink, either -- I'm guessing it wasn't the first time she'd seen a weirdo show up in the middle of the night and demand to see a scientist. The receptionist sent me to the right guy. Dr. Dikarya's a genius superhuman, League-registered, but not a combat hero, just a researcher, with a focus on weird plants and fungus in the Exclusion Zone. He got me some spare scrubs to change into -- I escaped in a freakin' hospital gown, if you can believe it -- and started running some tests. According to him, I'm some kind of symbiote now? It's me, a bunch of "undifferentiated plant matter," he says, and then there's the bacterium. Rhizobium radiobacter, what they used to call Agrobacterium tumefaciens -- a bacteria that makes tumors in plants, just burrows into the cells and tells them what to do. Humans use it to make genetic changes, and now it's in me, letting me hijack plants to reprogram them, make them do what I want. Sometimes I like to think of them like they're machines. It feels better that way. Anyway, Dr. Dikarya's a really decent guy, even if I have to pick up a lot of plant-nerd talk to keep up with a conversation with him. He got me a place to stay on the Research Campus -- not like I can go home, now -- and is trying to help me figure this all out. He's quiet, and he's all about his field, but I think he really cares. I don't want to say he's like my dad now, but... maybe a little bit? Why don't you just try to hide yourself away? I can't say I never thought about it. It'd be really easy to stay at the Research Campus and lie low, maybe learn to be a lab assistant, and... maybe it'd be all right. But... Look, I'll be honest: I'm pissed off. Maybe this is crazy, but I feel like someone ripped the cover off the world and now I'm seeing what's really going on. Nakabayashi always seemed like the safest place in the world -- they made algae, for the love of God -- and then they did this to me. How many people out there are getting hurt by people they thought were safe? I can't just sit back and let this happen. If I can help, I need to -- and with this body, I can help. It's not just abstract, though. Nakabayashi said I was the first prototype of a project. Maybe they're planning on making more -- for all I know, maybe they already have -- and I'm not letting them get away with this. That's why I'm keeping the name they gave me: I want it to be mine, not theirs, and I want to make sure they can't spin Project Alraune as anything other than what it is. Nakabayashi made their monster, and now they have to deal with her. Why do you care about the team? Well, part of it's practical. We have a job to do together, and we have to trust each other if we're going to do it right. If I didn't trust them to keep me safe, I couldn't really do this, could I? But it's not just that. The thing about the League... I think the reason there is a League... is that being a superhero makes you weird. Either you're someone like me, someone who's too broken to do anything else, or you're someone who chose this life and probably has their own stuff going on. Either way, it's lonely, you know? You can't really just go out and be normal, or blow off steam, or anything... except, maybe, with people who know how weird and lonely it is. It's good to have people who know what you're going through, even a little, and where else am I gonna find that? quote:Hero Name: Alraune Alpha Thread Questions: 1. What made you decide to become a hero? After that, why did you join the league, rather than staying unregistered? Why I'm a hero? Well, I talked about that. I have to do something with what I have, especially now that I'm... like this. As for the League? Man, I live on the Research Campus, and Dr. Dikarya's the only reason I even know what I am. Even if I was ready to go independent, I owe the League everything I have right now. 2. What hero sponsored you to join the league's trials, if any? Or, did you take the hard route and stick it out on your own? If you did, what extra challenges did this throw up for you? Dr. Dikarya is more of a League adjunct than a hero, so he can't do sponsorships, but his wife Wolfsbane can, though. She's low A rank, kind of like a cross between an archeologist and a biologist, doing skirmishes outside of the Exclusion Area to find any lifeforms she can and bring them back to the Mega City. I dunno why she's called Wolfsbane -- I heard she fought some kind of crazy Broken wolf-thing to get the name, but she says she doesn't like to tell war stories. Anyway, Dr. Dikarya introduced us when Wolfsbane was at the Research Campus, and she said she'd sponsor me for the trials if I was ready to go official. Wolfsbane's pretty nice, but I don't know her all that well. She seems kind of... driven, you know? Not really here even when she's here. She doesn't even talk to Dr. Dikarya about personal stuff, at least not where I can see it, so I dunno if it's my place to ask questions, especially when she's offering me sponsorship. 3. What's your mundane like life? What do you do in your free time? I just got a berth in the Research Campus garage to screw around in, and I bought myself a bike: one of those big-bodied Arasaki Megarides, something that supports my weight easily and isn't a trike. It's an old fixer-upper, so I've been focusing on working on it. It's taking a while, because I'm not a technopath anymore -- I don't think I mentioned that, did I? Whatever Nakabayashi did to me just kinda... knocked it outta my head. Outta my genes? I don't know. Adds a little insult to injury, you know? "Hey, kid, remember the one thing you liked best about yourself? We took that too." I don't even care if they didn't mean to -- it still hurts. Anyway, so that's taking a while, but it's still fun, and I think I'm getting the hang of it. I still need to get a Mega City driver's license, but the League says they have ways to deal with that when the time comes. I mean, I can ride, I just... should have the paper, you know? The rest of my life isn't that mundane. I have some tutors and stuff for catching up at school, but a whole lot of it's testing and training, trying to figure out just what all my body can do now. Sometimes it can be a little bit interesting, and with the League trials in mind, it makes it easier to think about the good parts of it, and not the... other parts. 4. Of the four general categories of the league's trials, Physical, Mental, Practical Challenges, and Moral, which did you excell in? Which gave you difficulty? And for you, personally, what form did those challenges take? This will be gone into more detail in future questions, so don't feel like you have to be all encompassing here. The physical and the practical challenges were probably the easiest ones. Like I said before, my body runs on its own instincts, and it knows how to do what I want even when I don't have a freakin' clue. There was this challenge with a ravine and a bridge snapping, and I just reached out and started growing vines from the palm of my hands, grabbing the ropes and rebuilding the bridge -- and then bearing the weight of everyone crossing. I didn't realize my feet were rooting me down until one of them stepped too hard, and I should have stumbled, but I didn't. You ever realize you're architecture now? Yeah. Sometimes I'm glad it can go on autopilot, because I really don't like thinking too hard about this stuff. Maybe it'll get easier to think about? Eventually? The mental wasn't great, because... listen to me. I'm not that smart, right? But I kind of muddled through that. The moral was kind of worse. It wasn't that difficult on paper, but all the judges just stared at me, like they were waiting for me to say the worst thing I possibly could. Like every answer was going to be "let the building burn to send the children's ashes into the soil" or something. Even when the answer was really easy -- yeah, if I have to choose between a bus full of kids and my mom's car, of course I start with the bus, what else -- they always looked like I was amazed that I'd just acted like a decent human being. And those are League judges. It... this sounds stupid, but it really made me worry that even the League's going to treat me like a monster for all time, no matter what I say, no matter who I save. Moral was a pretty bad day. 5. What zone are you from? Feel free to make up a new one or use one from the OP. I'm from Patchwork Paradise, which, okay, it's pretty dingy and low-rent, and the air smells funny, and nothing any more delicate than crabgrass grows unless it's in a controlled hydroponic bay, but it's nice. There are these amazing sunset views, and everyone's so nice, you know? In Patchwork Paradise, we're all in this together. Unless you're one of those pricks from Nakabayashi, I guess. 6. (Optional) What's your character's theme song? TBD! 7. (Optional) What does your character do in the anime opening? The previous shot cuts away to a busy street scene, where a child has wandered into the road and is about to be run over -- and then we cut to a helmeted figure on a battered, gunmetal-grey motorcycle, speeding towards the intersection and stopping on a dime to vault off the bike. Her motorcycle gloves shred out as her hands grow and extend, spindly twigs, and pluck the child out of traffic and to safety at the last moment. The child is amazed and silent as it's pulled back into the rider's arms, where green vines are beginning to snake out from under the helmet. Cut to next shot. 8. (Optional) Thread titles? TBD!
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May 13, 2017 07:57
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Xia - The Outsider Where do you come from? Mars, of course! I'm a Martian! ...Why are you looking at me like that, it's not like I'm going to sprout a bunch of tentacles or something weird like that! Of course I look like a human, I'm just from the future! We didn't change that much in a few thousand years, what did you think we'd mutate into skinny grey skinned big eyed things? You earthlings sure do have some strange ideas... Sure, we're all taller because of the low gravity, but otherwise the only real changes aren't physical. Why did you come to Earth? I'm a bit of a tourist, I suppose you could say. Mars is pretty great, but, you know, everyone's in this minor psychic web, so everyone is always so understanding and nothing ever really happens anymore. It's awfully boring, so I decided why not go and visit Earth back during the heroic age when there were monsters and villains to fight and all that exciting stuff. Who knows, I might even be able to save the world from it's eventual destruction! So I Why do you want to stay here (for now at least)? And it's so much more interesting than I thought, our historical records don't do anything like justice to this time period, everything is so exciting, and new, and you know I always thought we'd carried over a lot of Earth-stuff with us when we colonized mars, but no way, the real thing way different, and better! The sources really were lacking though, it's left out so much stuff. Like your weird sayings and all the strange inventions you have. I spent several minutes right after I arrived trying to figure out how to leave one of your buildings, because you didn't seem to have transportation panels on your walls, it wasn't until I saw someone using a 'door' that I was able to leave! That was a bit embarrassing, but I have learned now and will have no more future misunderstandings like that, I am sure. Why do your people want you to come home? I may have ... borrowed the only time machine anyone had ever built, so, a lot of important people are rather keen to have it back. And of course some people are worried about the effect I might have on the timeline, though the fact that they are able to communicate with me - while at the machine - in real time seems to me to mean I'm not effecting it, but scientists will never listen to people who point out flaws in their reasoning, ha. Naturally my family is rather more concerned that I might be hurt, or trapped here, and keep trying to persuade me to come back, but I'm not going to listen, they all still think I'm fragile little Xia, but I'm not a child anymore, and am perfectly capable of looking after myself! Anyway, I'm much stronger than most earthlings I've encountered, most of you can't even fly! How sad. Why do you care about the team? For one thing, they took me in when I arrived, and helped me get acclimated to this strange primitive world, and show me around to all the interesting things to see, so many different zones. Of course there were some misunderstandings at the start, but we've moved on from those and are quite the close tight friends now! quote:1. What made you decide to become a hero? After that, why did you join the league, rather than staying unregistered? quote:2. What hero sponsored you to join the league's trials, if any? Or, did you take the hard route and stick it out on your own? If you did, what extra challenges did this throw up for you? quote:3. What's your mundane like life? What do you do in your free time? quote:4. Of the four general categories of the league's trials, Physical, Mental, Practical Challenges, and Moral, which did you excell in? Which gave you difficulty? And for you, personally, what form did those challenges take? This will be gone into more detail in future questions, so don't feel like you have to be all encompassing here. quote:5. What zone are you from? Feel free to make up a new one or use one from the OP.  The Outsider posted:Hero Name: Xia GodFish fucked around with this message at 11:01 on May 20, 2017 |
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May 16, 2017 06:41
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Everyone: What's a really cool place you've seen, on your travels? Who's a special non-hero/villain that's nonetheless still important, even if just to you? What's a particular hero or villain of interest to you? What's the most important part of being a hero? What's your favorite anime? (Could be a real IRL anime or a fake one- preferably the latter, though.) Optional: How do you feel about cute girls, and separately, how do you feel about cute boys? Ankensatsu: You're a man of many tragedies, it seems. Tell me of who you are. Tell me about your scars and the actions that beget them. Tell me about your lowest moment, the worst sin you've committed. Tell me about the search for the truth to your latest tragedy- for the truth of your family's deaths- and the unlikely ally you made along the way. Tell me why you deserve redemption. Also, tell me about your fine abs. Prometheus: Are you the first artificial being created? Or are there others, woven from steel or magic or wood and made from nothing? What kind of... vibe, relationship, air do you try to give off during your hero work? Tell me why you are the future, and what future you intend to create. Tell me about the thing you fought out beyond a zone, all alone, and the strange emotions that permeated that time. Also, what do you think of the Island Tower Lions trading Sai Sakamoto for Brent Treznor? Champion: Tell me of your triumph. Tell me what villain you destroyed that no one thought you could, and why you go absolutely not a single shred of credit for it. Tell me why you keep going even when everyone says you should leave. How does it feel when people worry that /you would be hurt/? You're a loving superhero. Tell me a bit more about your family. What are they like? Who's your idol ,as a hero, who do you strive to be like? Also, what's the best food in town? Alraune Alpha So what's it like... being a girl? Where do you find relaxation, in these trying times? Do you keep in touch with your family, at all? Who in the hero community can't see beyond what you are, rather than who you are? What do you think about, when there's nothing to do but think? Also, do you do street racing? Xia: What's it like ,being a psychic in a world where... mostly those aren't a thing? What beauty of the Mega City do you just not have, out on mars, where the world works... right, more or less. On the other hand, what do you seriously, seriously miss from home? Aren't you worried about loving up the timeline or some poo poo like that? And hell, you're from the /future/, has anyone tried to get information from you or like... leverage your knowledge? Also, how long does it take to do your hair? Nea fucked around with this message at 18:10 on May 20, 2017 |
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May 20, 2017 18:00
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Neopie posted:What's a really cool place you've seen, on your travels? I have crossed many of the zones in my work. The Ancient Metropolis, I must admit, caught my eye in a way that few others have. There are cliffs to be found there, unlike anything I've seen in the Sacred Valley. I didn't have long to watch, but I remember seeing ships sailing through the air and wondering what it must be like to cut through the air on such a vessel. It's a thought that's occurred to me on more than one occasion since, but I wonder if it is simply my mind grasping for feelings of freedom throughout my containment. Regardless if it is or not, I'd like to give it a try. To sail the skies, even the limited skies of the MCEA, is something I look forward to. Something that gives me hope. quote:Who's a special non-hero/villain that's nonetheless still important, even if just to you? I have not had much in the way of opportunity to explore the MCEA, thanks to my confinement. Even so, however, my flawless behavior has allowed a number of chaperoned trips to the outside. It was on one such trip that I met the owner of a most peculiar bakery. Chef Akiko. She is an uncanny character. Despite my appearance, which most would charitable say suggests a hard-fought life, she seemed unphased by that or the guards accompanying me. She seemed to want nothing more than to share her confections with the world. It was a curious feeling. To meet somehow who did not instinctually fear or resent me was... Most pleasant, actually. quote:What's a particular hero or villain of interest to you? When I was still working on the other side, I crossed paths with a man most curious. As far as I can tell, people simply refer to him as Kensai. He is one who has sworn himself to the sword and lets no other considerations stay his hand. He fights any and all who cross his path. His bladework is far beyond my own, though our own battle was inconclusive. It is, after all, quite difficult to cut what you cannot catch. Our fight awoke something in me. A spirit of competition and a desire to best him. I suppose it is quite fair to say that I would appreciate the chance to resolve the matter. quote:What's the most important part of being a hero? I have not divined that yet, but my suspicion is as follows: An unrelenting sense of purpose. When one acts in accordance with their purpose, one can unleash their true potential. My greatest challenge will be to rebuild my purpose into something that aligns with heroic ideals. While "To cut down all that would impede the world's progression" is a lofty ideal, it is one that has been carried out by a family of assassins. My family. It did not bring them to a pleasant end. quote:What's your favorite anime? (Could be a real IRL anime or a fake one- preferably the latter, though.) Hm, a curious question. I consume most such media in the form of Weekly Leap, rather than as animation. Still, I suppose there is one show I have taken to watching with some regularity. It was suggested, perhaps ironically, by one of the guards. Kaiya. Regardless of her true intentions, I must admit that Apocalypse Chronicles: The Calamitous Blade is most fascinating. The fight choreography is very well done and, at times, seems less something that was created for entertainment and more the record of an actual fight between masters. The aesthetics, too, catch my attention. A dark wanderer traveling through an apocalyptic wasteland. Long stretches of silence and contemplation. It seems to speak to me in a way that few others have. quote:Optional: How do you feel about cute girls, and separately, how do you feel about cute boys? I was raised to be a perfect weapon. There was no time for romance, nor curiosity. If I were to engage in a liaison, it would have been carefully arranged by my father to strengthen our clan's bloodline. Yet, again, I find myself without those strictures in place. I do not know if I am ready for any such relationship to occur, nor if any would want one who's soul was as stained as mine. Yet, you asked my feelings. I appreciate the female form, I suppose, though I could not tell you any specific 'likes or dislikes.' It is something I have yet to discover. My immediate inclination with males is to treat them as rivals, though I suppose that someone capable of keeping up with me would make for a fine partner? I do not know. quote:You're a man of many tragedies, it seems. Tell me of who you are. Tell me about your scars and the actions that beget them. I am the final heir of the Yagyū. The culmination of all that they have wrought on the world, for good or ill. A man who has seen many fall before his blade. A man who is, as it happens, now adrift in a world with no guidance. Perhaps this is an opportunity. The lack of orders, the lack of tradition binding me... It has given me time to examine myself. If I am to be blunt, this time of seclusion and restraint has given me the following insight: I am little without what I have lost. I held to the purpose of our clan as much as any. I held to the certainty that the acts we committed were driving the world to a better future. Yet, now, I am a man alone. Faced with the weight of the world. But that is a matter of the heart. You asked of the flesh. It is easy to see that I have lost an arm. It was consumed by the hellfire brought forth by a man once known as Inferno Snake. He was the final test. The test that would mark me a trainee no longer, but a full-fledged ninja of the Yagyū. It was a test, in hindsight, that I was not yet ready to take. In the decisive moment, when my blade sought his heart, I hesitated. The pain I felt when he claimed my arm forged my soul. The pain of a cybernetic replacement, a melding of magic and machine, was nothing in comparison. I feel the flames licking at it still, from time to time, but that is a reminder of the importance of commitment to one's course of action. Other scars cross my body, yes, though none are quite as remarkable. The Yagyū way is harsh and unrelenting, particularly on those they hold high hopes for. I was their treasured scion and they pushed me to the brink of my potential and beyond. Dancing through halls of blades. Fighting legions in the shadows. Matching blades with the greatest swordsmen of the clan. Scars are my only relic of many of those experiences. I will never again challenge my potential with a clansman. Perhaps at the time of my final judgment, yes, but never again in this life. quote:Tell me about your lowest moment, the worst sin you've committed. I won't beat around the bush. My blade has sated its thirst many times over the years. Most would draw no grief. You may be surprised at how many who claim the mantle of villainy are considered to impede the world's path. You may not. Yet, if there were to be one moment that haunts me even now, it would be this: I have cut down a mother in front of her child. She was an unaffiliated metahuman. Not remarkable enough to have developed a name or reputation for herself, but she had found herself caught between powerful enemies. She had some ability to create and adapt life. A leading research firm had her on retainer for many years and used those gifts to make significant amounts of money. Perhaps this would have been allowed. It is, after all, natural to use your gifts to further your own ends. Yet, even so, this woman found herself in desperate need of money. It matters not the reason, not anymore. It may have been gambling, or simply an unforeseen situation. Whatever the case was, she sought a darker patron to make ends meet. There are organizations in the shadows of the MCEA that the Yagyū viewed with no small hostility. One such, now destroyed, specialized in black market applications of Broken. Drugs. Weapons. Creations that defied classification. This woman would push their research to unfathomable new heights. For this reason, her fate was sealed. Her lodgings, though quite nice, had little that could stop me. I slipped in with little more than a whisper of wind across her curtains. I stood there for some time. I had not known she had a child. It did not change the raw truth of the matter, nor the outcome. Yet, even so, it challenged my resolve. Could I complete my duty? Could I leave this small creature alone in the world? As the answer happens, yes. I was not quite so aware of the pain of solitude then. Despite my efforts to make the matter quick and silent, she cried out. The child saw me, blade dripping with blood, and screamed. I was gone before the echoes died down. Even so, it haunts me still. quote:Tell me about the search for the truth to your latest tragedy- for the truth of your family's deaths- and the unlikely ally you made along the way. It is true that I have found myself a strange companion on this journey. She is Asano Sakaki, a woman of the news, and she too has heard rumors suggesting Panopticon may be... Acting in ways that do not agree with the laws she established. Ways that some even say suggest a certain degree of instability. This project has damaged her career and, I believe, she would have abandoned it entirely if we had not met. But meet we did. It was at the confection shop I mentioned earlier. I was enjoying a fantastic fruit trifle when I happened to notice the notebook she had open. I saw the word 'Panopticon' and, I must admit, I took the liberty of my speed to investigate the writing fully. I was guarded, unfortunately, so a face-to-face meeting was out of the question. I, instead, made a simple addition to the end of her writing. It suggested, if she was interested in a lead, that she await my visit to one of the public gardens within the Sacred Valley during the next week. I found her at the appointed location and, with that pact sealed, began a pattern of leaving what I knew in dead drops. Our correspondence thus far has been handled in secret. Even while I am guarded on excursions, it is a small matter to leave the proper sign or a written missive in a hidden location. It is not wise to draw Her gaze. Not these days. With my release nearing, our collaboration will become much easier. I look forward to seeing what threads we uncover as the tapestry of deceit that Panopticon has woven continues to unravel. quote:Tell me why you deserve redemption. Maybe I do not. My sins are deeper than any of my comrades could ever understand. Perhaps I will reveal their full extent one day, but... I fear if I grow close to them, I could not bear the pain of their all too rational rejection. Yet, all the same, what is the harm in trying to seek redemption? It is not as if rushing to my death would change anything. It would simply place another life on the hands of our mad goddess. So, I say to you, this is my resolve: I will demonstrate the depths of my power. I will raise the Yagyū name from the shadows and demonstrate our might to the world, though I know it ends with me. I will show those like me that there may well be a path to salvation. I will seek my own method to drive the world onward, one that is uniquely my own. And, at the moment I draw my last breath, I will see the truth of the path I have walked. So says Yagyū Hayate. So says Ankensatsu. quote:Also, tell me of your fine abs. Mm. It is no mystery to me that my body attracts no small degree of positive attention from onlookers. Forged in the crucible of the Yagyū clan's most strenuous and diabolical training regimens, I have reached the apex of the human form. My abs, as you say, are perhaps the most commented upon attribute, but it is no mistake that I cover myself in battle. While I once wore little to better facilitate my feats of uncanny speed, it proved... Well, I became something of a local legend among the Sacred Valley. Perhaps you have heard the tales of the chiseled ghost that walks those streets? When entering the reverse side once more, I could not rely on my speed to fully elude the eye of any passersby. Sightings occurred. Tales and blurred pictures began to spread through the various means, like a virus. I was drawing so much attention that I needed to hide myself in flowing cloth. It has been mentioned that my look is, perhaps, unbecoming of a hero. Who knows? Perhaps the time will come when I cast off that which hides me. Tricky fucked around with this message at 04:11 on May 28, 2017 |
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May 24, 2017 04:12
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Neopie posted:Everyone: What's a really cool place you've seen, on your travels?  I will admit that Idyllic Castle Zone is an odd place for me to spend my time. After all, in a zone about "getting back to basics," I do not exactly fit in. Even the police there dress as knights! Still, it is certainly unique among zones, and I also wish to understand what people want to retreat from modernity. More urgently, they have had a recent spat of monster attacks that I have been looking into, even if it would be illegal to use all my powers there. The zone insists that such monsters be hunted with traditional medieval weapons. Anyone who actually slays such a monster is actually granted a knighthood, which comes with a modest pension and the right to be called Ser or Lady. I wonder if they would actually knight me? I... confess that I would find it amusing to be Ser Prometheus. Neopie posted:Who's a special non-hero/villain that's nonetheless still important, even if just to you? Of course, the fact that he is also a fan of the... ugh... Crows, the Lion's rival team, is something that I am willing to forgive him for. As long as the Lions and Crows are not playing that week. Neopie posted:What's a particular hero or villain of interest to you?  Wireless is an odd "villain," to be sure. Most interestingly, he never seems to actually want to hurt anyone, which means his sprees are more about inconveniencing people and, to quote him during one of his many rants, "throwing sand in the gears of modern society." The sprees never last too long, though, as he always attracts far too much attention to himself for them to end in anything other than his capture. Nevertheless, his appearance belies his extreme fitness. He led me on a merry little chase back when I was just starting as a hero. Before I finally apprehended him, he'd caused two light rails to be stuck on the tracks, shorted out half a zone's worth of traffic lights, and knocked out the power to a city block. In addition to his peak athleticism, his various... trick phones caused me much frustratio-. Yes, I know that is ridiculous. But, what can I say? The man uses trick phones of various types to delay heroes while he goes on his spree of Luddite excess. Regardless, when I finally apprehended him, he knocked on my head and was surprised to learn that I was not a person in a suit. He looked confused before finally nodding in understanding before saying, "Well, whatdoyaknow? I guess the modern world finally made something worthwhile." ...It is... good to see that even someone like him can appreciate the craft that went into making me. Neopie posted:What's the most important part of being a hero? Neopie posted:What's your favorite anime? (Could be a real IRL anime or a fake one- preferably the latter, though.) As for why I enjoy it so much? While the action is always very imaginative, I appreciate a good mystery, and the conspiracy they are unwrapping is full of winding twists and turns. I have my theories as to what is going on, of course, but I would not want to spoil things for you. So, I will keep them to myself. Neopie posted:Optional: How do you feel about cute girls, and separately, how do you feel about cute boys? Neopie posted:Prometheus: Are you the first artificial being created? Or are there others, woven from steel or magic or wood and made from nothing? One minute or less, you say? Very well. As stated, it really does depend on how you define being. Personally, I am loathe to question the person-hood of other beings, for reasons that I hope are rather self evident. Therefore, I believe that I am not the first. There have been intelligent golems created by powerful mages of various stripes. I personally view this as... cheating, to be honest. Imprinting a golem with a copy of your own mind is surely far easier than building a true artificial intelligence from the ground up. As such, I believe that I am the first being to be an "artificial intelligence." In addition, while those golems may have copies of their creator's mind, they do not have any of their creator's magical talents, and thus were unable to create beings in their own image. I, however, do not have any such restriction. Neopie posted:What kind of... vibe, relationship, air do you try to give off during your hero work? Vibe? I do not understand. I am a hero. I protect people, so surely my vibe is... heroic? Perhaps you could rephrase the question? Prometheus, as implied, doesn't put on any airs when he's out heroing. He's very workman in his approach, prioritizing the safety of civilians, then focusing on ending the threat. Once no civilians are in danger and the threats have been neutralized, he gives a simple farewell before flying off to find more trouble to assist with. Neopie posted:Tell me why you are the future, and what future you intend to create. Why... am I the future? Is it not obvious? I will outlive every single person alive today, by virtue of the fact that I do not age. On top of that, I am simply superior to 99.9% of living beings. Again, I want to emphasize my commitment to protecting those weaker than myself, but this just means that I should be protecting almost everyone. As for the future I intend to create... well, that is a much more difficult question. To be honest? I am not sure. I want to create a good world where people no longer live in fear of broken attacks, for starters. But I also want to make sure my progeny have the ability to chose a different path than myself. What if none of them want to be a hero? I... hm. I truly do not know. Neopie posted:Tell me about the thing you fought out beyond a zone, all alone, and the strange emotions that permeated that time. I fought... I am not sure how to describe it. It was like myself, a being of steel and circuits, but it was also partly organic as well. Its construction made no sense. Bits of it would suddenly stop and switch between steel and flesh, as if there was someway to join them seamlessly. It was completely feral, of course, but... I do not wish to see one of them again. Neopie posted:Also, what do you think of the Island Tower Lions trading Sai Sakamoto for Brent Treznor? Indeed, I predict that Brent Treznor will perform mostly at Sakamoto's level, if not lower! Capfalcon fucked around with this message at 20:22 on May 24, 2017 |
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May 24, 2017 04:48
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Neopie posted:Everyone: What's a really cool place you've seen, on your travels? A lot of people don't know it, but there's a ton of stuff underground in the Exclusion Area -- everyone knows we build up, but fewer know we build down. Dr. Dikarya took me with him to the Shadowed Bounty Zone, which is mostly agricultural stuff, but it's still pretty cool: lots of mushroom and algae-protein farms, stuff like that. Some of the systems they have in place for recirculating water and nutrients and stuff... okay, so it's really nerdy, but it's also kind of cool. It's also got a lot of weird ruins, stuff that was left over from the places Panopticon used to build the mega city. Who knows what all's buried down there? quote:Who's a special non-hero/villain that's nonetheless still important, even if just to you? Dr. Dikarya's son (stepson? I really don't know, nobody in that family ever talks about anything) comes in to the lab sometimes, and we're getting to be friends... his name's Samuel Demetriou, but everyone calls him "Sprout." He's a really sweet kid, kind of a nerd, but who isn't around the lab? He does some machine work in the campus metal shop, and lately he's been taking me down there to learn the machines. Really, he just treats me like a person, and that helps a lot. quote:What's a particular hero or villain of interest to you? I've been trying to find a lot of footage of Mercury Black lately. She's not all that much on her own -- not even a real supervillain, just kind of a supervillain courier, the "takes money and doesn't ask any questions" kind -- but I really want to know what's up with her bike. That thing's faster than any street model I've ever seen, hot on the turns, and it carries that giant sword and all her cargo around? I need her tech. quote:What's the most important part of being a hero? I feel like the most important part of being a hero is just... doing it. Showing up, doing the work, taking care of people. If you've got all these powers but you're not putting in the time, what does it even matter? quote:What's your favorite anime? Okay, so, I know what you think I'm going to say, but bike-racing anime is all garbage. None of it get it right enough that it feels like a race and not just dumb bullshit. Competition is fun, but it's kind of more interesting when it's something weird. I've been watching this chess show lately, Rook Cross King, and it's kind of cool to see what they do with adapting the normal punch-fight stuff to a brain game like that. ... 'course, if I played chess, I'd probably notice how much they were getting wrong... quote:Optional: How do you feel about cute girls, and separately, how do you feel about cute boys? Both pretty nice; I like boys better, if we're being honest, but I'm not going to turn anyone down. ... Not that anyone's asking. I mean, I'm... this is kind of academic right now, okay? Probably for the rest of my life, unless something big changes? So... yeah. quote:Alraune Alpha So what's it like... being a girl? Look, this didn't make me a girl, okay? I've known since I was six or seven, and my parents believed me, though they didn't always make it easy on me. I got... "lucky," I guess?, because my chromosomes were all screwed up. "Genetic intersex condition," I think is what they call it. If I hadn't had that, I dunno if my parents would have let me do anything. They still made me switch schools between second or third grade, "so nobody gives you trouble," and that sucked, but... I started third grade as a girl, and that's what matters. ... Okay, enough of the ancient history, because I know what you mean. Whatever Project Alraune did, it gave me a girl's body. I was gonna say "the way it always should have been," but when I pictured myself this way, I didn't imagine being a freakin' plant monster. But... that part of it feels nice. That little, tiny part of it. It doesn't make up for the rest, but I gotta take what I can get. quote:Where do you find relaxation, in these trying times? Everyone asks me if I garden now. I don't. Sometimes I help in the lab greenhouse when Dr. Dikarya needs a hand, but working around plants is actually really tense and weird. I can kind of feel them, and... it's hard to calm down. What I usually do is turn on the TV, maybe read a little or throw on some music, nothing big. Now that Sprout's showing me around the metal shop, I've been down there to screw around a bit, and it's nice to work on a hands-on project. Working on the bike's the best, when I get a chance to do it. quote:Do you keep in touch with your family, at all? God no. For all I know, they fed me to Nakabayashi in the first place. They haven't come looking, and I haven't gone seeking them out. Whatever's going on there, I figure I'm better off not knowing. quote:Who in the hero community can't see beyond what you are, rather than who you are? Aoi Tonbo complains about me every time we cross paths at the research campus, and I hear about it from Security every time. She doesn't even work here! I think she does stuff with poisons or something, like with air-gun darts, and she grows the ingredients here and runs synthesis? But she's a street hero, not research. Security says she keeps complaining about "that drat test subject wandering around," like she can't tell that I'm with the League, or won't admit it. I don't get it because she transforms in the field, too... but it's gotta be magic or something, since she always looks normal when she's here. I guess that's the problem? She can turn hers off, so screw the rest of us, right? quote:Also, do you do street racing? Not yet, but I've thought about it, once I get a bike that can handle it. I'd want to have a real good set of helmet and leathers, though, stuff to keep me anonymous if I can manage it. I'd rather keep whatever I do out there separate from what I'm doing in here, and if I go out there as I am... would they even let me race?
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May 24, 2017 06:48
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[url]Champion[/url]Neopie posted:What's a really cool place you've seen, on your travels?  Definitely the abandoned cathedral in Central Ruins Zone. I saw it when I was in a tournament there - was some promotional thing, best from each Zone and all that - and it honestly floored me. Just imagining how much work it took for people to do it, how much dedication and time. I dunno, it's pretty inspiring to me that regular people built it without having powers or anything. Neopie posted:Who's a special non-hero/villain that's nonetheless still important, even if just to you? Neopie posted:What's the most important part of being a hero? Neopie posted:What's your favorite anime? (Could be a real IRL anime or a fake one- preferably the latter, though.) Neopie posted:Optional: How do you feel about cute girls, and separately, how do you feel about cute boys? Neopie posted:Also, what's the best food in town? Neopie posted:Tell me of your triumph. Tell me what villain you destroyed that no one thought you could, and why you go absolutely not a single shred of credit for it.  Soooo yeah, remember a few weeks back, when Madam Blade escaped from prison only to get promptly arrested by a team of A-Rank League Heroes? That's Fake News, trust me, I was there. I'm the one that beat her! And here's the part where you laugh right? Ok, thanks for not doing that - everybody does when I tell them! See, she escaped from prison - of course - and grabbed her gear, which for her is that insanely powerful cybernetic armor and that future-forged sword she loves swinging around - with a lot of skill by the way, like a crazy amount. Point is though, that fancy stuff of hers? It only works when she's got it on, when she's wielding it... and I caught her off guard. Not sure WHY, but right after she got her gear? She stopped by Hibachi Joe's to grab something to eat, and yeah I happened to be there. She scared everyone out of the place, just coldly telling us to leave - didn't even leave time for people to grab to-go boxes - and I made sure I was sorta close to her as I filed past her booth. And then, uhhh... I mean I was in my street clothes, and it's not like she'd have known who I was even if I was wearing my costume. So yeah, figuring I needed to do SOMETHING, I sorta karate-chopped her in the throat... and she went DOWN! I couldn't believe it! I mean I hit her once or twice more to make drat sure she was sleeping for a bit, but yeah, I totally took out an incredibly high threat level foe, by myself, in basically a single hit! Promptly had all the credit stolen by the League Response team that showed up of course. Was really, really proud of myself - and gently caress, why shouldn't I have been - and yeah, people on my own team stole all the credit for what I did. Why didn't anybody in the restaurant think to take a stupid picture? I asked Joe about the footage on the security tapes later, and he said it'd all been wiped... really glad my teammates and I have to work with these people. Neopie posted:Tell me why you keep going even when everyone says you should leave. How does it feel when people worry that /you would be hurt/? You're a loving superhero. Neopie posted:Tell me a bit more about your family. What are they like? Rauri fucked around with this message at 03:36 on Jun 1, 2017 |
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May 24, 2017 07:02
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Neopie posted:Everyone: What's a really cool place you've seen, on your travels? I haven't done much traveling! But I did visit the Olympus Volcanic Hotsprings and Geysers on the spot where the mountain used to be - it's very beautiful and even though it was on my world it felt otherworldly - I wonder if Earth has anything like it in the Bubbles? That would be so cool, Volcanic Hotsprings make for the most refreshing baths anywhere! And I know you used to have volcanos.  Neopie posted:Who's a special non-hero/villain that's nonetheless still important, even if just to you? Spectrum is the best person I've met on Earth! She is so amazing, for one thing her ability to change color is very beautiful, and she has all sorts of incredible athletic abilities, along with her deadly retractable claws! I would not want to fight her, though I would win in the end, it would be a terrible battle! Besides, she is a good friend and very amusing! And insightful, she was the first (and one of the only) people to notice and react to my mental connection when I established one with her. She is the best, and I make sure to feed her lots and pamper her whenever we are together, which is almost all the time I am at 'home'. I think there is no better pet in all the worlds, including back home, where we do not have cats at all!  Neopie posted:What's a particular hero or villain of interest to you? I suppose there's ALEX - I don't know if he's much of a villain really, he doesn't attack people or steal things much, but ever since I arrived apparently he's started breaking into government buildings and trying to kidnap important people to get 'the truth' out of them. Apparently he thinks Aliens - me - have been behind most of human history, including forcing you all into the Bubbles so we could take over the rest of the planet, or turn humans into mindless slaves for our mines, or... something. it is hard to understand and the one time we made a mental connection everything coming from him was highly confused. But he shouts about Aliens! a lot.  Neopie posted:What's the most important part of being a hero? Getting into awesome fights with villains and saving the day! Neopie posted:What's your favorite anime? (Could be a real IRL anime or a fake one- preferably the latter, though.) Help! My Imaginary Girlfriend is From Pluto! She has so many comical misunderstandings, it's very relatable and informative! Though the science is very bad, and Plutonians don't act anything like that really! Or look like that. They're very pale, because of the lack of sunlight. I'd have thought even past-earthlings could have figured that out. Neopie posted:How do you feel about cute girls? Nothing Better, unless its... Neopie posted:How do you feel about cute boys? but really I couldn't choose~ Neopie posted:What's it like ,being a psychic in a world where... mostly those aren't a thing? It's very strange! Back home everyone understands each other and, since we feel each others emotions - even if just subtly - hurting someone hurts yourself, so we are all very nice for the most part. Unlike here, where people seem very happy to try to hurt other people emotionally. This is the most concerning part of past humans, but I suppose I can't expect primitives to be civilized! It also makes social cues much harder to understand - on Mars two people talking automatically understand what the other person is trying to suggest or imply or what have you, where here people say things that are not what they mean nearly every sentence, hidden behind a mutual understanding that they didn't mean what they said with the other people - some words mean their exact opposite. The lack of responding connections is also very lonely at times, but for these I can often connect to a teammate to simulate the bond. Neopie posted:What beauty of the Mega City do you just not have, out on mars, where the world works... right, more or less. On the other hand, what do you seriously, seriously miss from home? Mega City is, to use a metaphor I hope I am correctly activating, a melting pot. So many different people with all their weird abilities and physical mutations and even outside of that the different kinds of humans, all together in this one very large city is a constant variety of wonders and sights to behold. In the future we are all quite similar, having achieved a genetic singularity of sorts, and with a full planet we are quite spread out, most Martians live in groups of only a few thousands total, there is nothing like this mass of people all in one place! Similarly however, the press of people does make it difficult to find peaceful time alone - despite the web of our thoughts and emotions binding us together on Mars, it is always easy to make yourself alone, simply by traveling away from the cities to commune with yourself in meditation or nature. Here, the mental web is very weak, with essentially no one connecting to me, which is very sad on its own, there are always so many people around that at times it can feel overwhelming, as if thousands of people were shouting at me all at once, just far enough away that I can't actually make out any of the words either. Neopie posted:Aren't you worried about loving up the timeline or some poo poo like that? No, I told you this already, silly. It is obvious that I am not destroying the timeline because the scientists from back home have been in communication with me telling me I am going to destroy the timeline, yet they are able to give me these warnings, and as such clearly still exist to complain! Some smart people can be very stupid, it is impressive. Neopie posted:And hell, you're from the /future/, has anyone tried to get information from you or like... leverage your knowledge? Oh yes, constantly! Once people actually believe me they almost all ask me about who wins the next sport event and things like that. Very foolish! As if I remember or cared to learn about who won some pointless earthling sporting event from generations before! There were much more important things to learn about. Often, people ask me why I did not bring a history of the time period back with me, and really what is the point of visiting a place you know everything about already? There is no fun there, no new experiences. I did not come to say who would be running for office, this is unimportant in the long run. Neopie posted:Also, how long does it take to do your hair? From my reading of your psyche, I suspect this is meant as a joke, but I will answer seriously to be safe. It would be a process of some endeavor as you suspect, however I come form a more enlightened time and my Man-With-A-Thousand-Styles Deluxe Mark III that I brought with me makes it an almost instant process. Of course having a properly you style is very important, and my golden bands allow me to manipulate my two braids rather like the tails on earth primates. GodFish fucked around with this message at 07:25 on May 31, 2017 |
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May 27, 2017 09:39
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